Category Archives: Black-billed gull

Tēnā koutou, It almost feels inappropriate to be writing this newsletter. But then, perhaps our greatest defence against those who would turn our world inside out, is to refuse to let them stop us from continuing to protect and share our little patch of beauty. So, herein is our latest newsletter: Braided Rivers Seminar 2019 […]

Greetings, The date for our next meeting, which will also be our AGM, has been changed. It will now be 2-5pm, Wednesday 26 September, at the DOC offices, Ngai Mahi Rd Sockburn. Please also note that the annual membership fee of $20.00 is due on this date. Calling all North Canterbury trappers! Conservation week is […]

Greetings, Our next meeting, which will also be our AGM, will be 2-5pm, Friday 14 September, at the DOC offices, Ngai Mahi Rd Sockburn. Firstly, I’d like to thank ECan for contributing funds to BRaid to help keep the wheels spinning for another 12 months. I’d also like to that everyone who wrote letters of […]

Greetings, At our last meeting in February, Ailsa’s Howard’s presentation on the use of ‘nesting cages’ on South Bay, Kaikoura, was impressive, to say the least. This method is proving to be a highly successful technique for saving nesting dotterels, with the added social engagement benefit of placing emphasis on ‘saving’ birds rather than ‘killing’ […]

Greetings, Following on from our last newsletter, we are delighted to announce that Karikaas, makers of some of New Zealand’s yummiest cheeses, has partnered with BRaid. Their award-winning cheeses are now going to be packaged in ‘braided river bird’ themed boxes. Each handcrafted cheese includes information about wrybill, black-billed gulls, black-fronted terns, or banded dotterels, and […]

We are delighted that Karikaas, makers of some of New Zealand’s yummiest cheeses, has released their award-winning cheeses in ‘braided river bird’ themed boxes. The handcrafted cheeses include information about wrybill, black-billed gulls, black-fronted terns, and banded dotterels. Inside is a collectable fridge magnet featuring one of the birds. Best Christmas presents ever! And what […]

Down on the river Birds Being the wet summer that it has, river flows have been good this season, but it is not the same with bird numbers and breeding success. As stated in the December Update, annual survey numbers were well down on previous years, and breeding success was similar. Our 8 wrybill pairs […]

Merry Christmas everyone. Firstly, a big thank you for your support this year. I’ll keep this brief as I know your email inboxes will be jammed with end-of-year missives. I will be away from Friday 23 December until the end of January. If I manage to snap a few photos of Iceland’s braided rivers, I’ll […]

Black-billed gull colony on dairy farm alongside the Ashley-Rakahuri River (Story and video on Stuff) Most of the world’s gull species are associated with marine coastal environments. Not so NZ’s black-billed gull. This endemic species is an inland specialist, which usually breeds on our braided rivers, particularly in eastern and southern parts of the country. […]

Hello all, Firstly, please note that the next BRaid meeting his this Friday 25 November at 31 Nga Mahi Rod, Sockburn. This will be our final meeting for 2016. It’s been a disruptive couple of weeks, from coming to grips with a new world order to dealing with yet another earthquake sequence, which has also […]

We are off to a slow start in terms of braided river bird breeding in the lower Waimakariri River. There are no settled black-billed gull colonies to report just yet, although one looks pretty close to being established out from “Dixons Bay” on the north bank (McLeans Island is directly opposite on the south bank […]

A big thank you to Christchurch International Airport, who sponsored the helicopter flight along the Waimakariri River from the river mouth to the gorge. This helps complete the picture of the national survey of critically endangered black-billed gulls currently being undertaken. See if you can spot the black-billed gulls in photos 6-8. It might look […]

An open letter to Cat Rescue Christchurch Dear Cat Rescue It has come to my attention that Cat Rescue has recently conducted a trap/neuter/release (TNR) programme near the Waikuku Beach campground, apparently trapping some eight cats, most of them feral. I wish to express my deep concern about your charity using the TNR method, especially […]

Hello all, This is a reminder that the next BRaid meeting is this coming Friday 26 February at 2.20pm, not 1.00pm, at DOC offices, Nga Mai Rd. Sockburn. We will be holding a manager’s meeting at 1.00pm, prior to the general meeting. I will be sending the agenda and last meeting’s minutes to all members […]

From DOC’s intranet.. Endangered black-billed gulls are creating havoc for staff at Genesis Energy’s Tokaanu power station. The CNI team wants your ideas on how to successfully move them to a new habitat. A colony of black-billed gulls has decided Tokaanu power station is a great place to nest and breed, but the energy […]

From Ann-Kathrin Schlesselmann It was a stunner day down here and I used the opportunity to go out to the Waitaki river mouth. The bar is full of birdlife starting with banded dotterels, oystercatchers, red-billed gulls, black-billed gulls, white-fronted tern, shags and black-back gulls. There is a massive colony of white-fronted terns (more than 500 […]

From Courtney Thompson, ECan Regional Park Ranger Our main black-billed gull colony at the end of Haul Road has had to withstand several freshes coming through the river over the past month. We held our breath for some of the higher water levels but, somewhat amazingly, most of the birds seemed to remain above the […]

In early October 2015, a group of hardy volunteers braced themselves against a wild nor’wester to clear an area near the SH1 bridge at Ashburton, so that critically endangered black-billed gulls might have a fighting chance to raise a few chicks. Around 3,000 birds had settled nearby, but invasive weeds including willows and lupins has […]

At the entrance to the Lower Waitaki, the colony of black-billed gulls sighted during an aerial survey late last year was still present as of 04 January, near a separate colony of white-fronted terns. These photos were taken about 800m away from the north side of the river looking along the channel towards the south. […]